Myanmar invites non-criminal emigres to return home

YANGON: Myanmar’s new President Thein Sein has extended a tentative welcome to Myanmar nationals living abroad to return home, providing they have committed no crimes, media reports said today.

Thein Sein extended the invitation at a meeting yesterday with officials from economic and social fields, associations and organisations at Naypyitaw, 350km north of Yangon, The New Light of Myanmar reported.

“Myanmar citizens living abroad can return home if they have not committed any crimes,” Thein Sein said.

“And if a Myanmar citizen in a foreign country who committed crimes applies to return home to serve their sentences, we will show our benevolent attitude in dealing with his case,” the president
said.

Thousands of Myanmar nationals living overseas fled politics-related charges in their country. Emigres have expressed scepticism over the offer, saying it falls short of an amnesty.

“They invited back Burmese citizens from foreign countries just to show off” to Western countries, often critical of the regime, said Ngwe Lin, general-secretary of outlawed opposition Democratic Party for New Society.

“Such an invitation is meaningless,” he was quoted as saying by the overseas-based Myanmar news agency Mizzima.

Thein Sein also acknowledged that economic development was struggling.

“There were many countries that lagged behind our country in the post-independence period, but now our country has been left behind in terms of development,” Thein Sein said.

Myanmar has been under military dictatorships since 1962. The country is ruled by a pro-military government that came to power after the election of Nov 7, which many observers labelled neither free not fair.

– dpa

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